1 INVASION OF SELEUCUS, 71
2 army to Persia and Susa, by way of Gedrosia (Mekrdn), and Karmania ,
3 (Kerman), in September, 326 B.c. It has been calculated that from the day
4 he left Pella, the capital of Macedon, till his arrival in Babylon, the distance
5 traversed by him exceeded nineteen thousand English miles, a wonderful feat
6 indeed in those days. He had conquered the whole of the then known world.
7 Tn every part of the world visited by his arms he founded magnificent cities,
8 constructed large fleets and devised measures for the development of
9 trade and commercial intercourse. He subdued the most powerful nations,
10 and conquered the mightiest kingdoms and empires. He reduced to ashes
11 the proudest cities, and levelled to the dust their loftiest towers, fortresses
12 and palaces. He had no opponent left, and he was making preparations for
13 still more extensive schemes, both of conquest and civilization, one of which
14 was the complete subjugation of the whole peninsula of India, when he
15 was cut off, still in the prime of life. He died in his palace at Babylon on
16 the 13th of June of the year 823 B.c., in the 82nd year of his age, after
17 a reign of twelve years and eight months, from a fever contracted by his
18 indiscreetly bathing in the river after excessive indulgence in strong spirits
19 and other pleasures of the table. His body was deposited in a golden coffin
20 at Alexandria, and divine honours were paid to him in Egypt and other
21 countries, He appointed no heir to his extensive dominions; but to the
22 question put to him as to who should inherit them, he replied: “The most
23 worthy.” The death of this great conqueror, at so early an age, furnishes
24 a memorable instance of the transitory nature of all that concerns human
25 life and human greatness! Within a few years of his death, his wives, his
26 child and his mother were all killed, and his vast empire divided among his
27 generals, so that nothing remained of him but his name.
28 It will be observed from the above narrative that Alexander established
29 no system of government in the Panjdb. The policy he adopted in that
30 country was to make alliances with the native kings, subjugating by force
31 of arms those who opposed him, and making over their territories to such
32 as were friendly to him. He founded new cities and established military
33 and naval posts in the Panj&b, along the course of the Indus. He left be-
34 hind him detachments of troops at various places in the Panjéb and Sindh,
35 which indicated a design on his part to return to the country at no distant
36 date; but this design, as we have seen, was not destined to be carried into
37 execution.
38 CHAPTER X.
39 i
40 FROM THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER TO THE MAHOMEDAN
41 INVASION.
42 or the partition of the empire, which followed Alexander’s death,
43 Seleucus Nicator, governor of Babylon, not only retraversed and reduced
44 to subjection that country and Bactria, but subjugated the whole country
45 beyond the Euphrates, and crossed the Indus, B, ¢. 305, to attack Sandra-
46 cottas (Chandragupta), king of Magadha, or Bihar, who had already succeed-
47 ed in expelling the Greek garrison from the Panjab principalities and had
48 compelled the inhabitants to acknowledge his supremacy. Immediately
49 on the departure of Alexander from Indian soil, the Indians rose in revolt,
50 and the Macedonian governor left by him in the country was slain, while
51 Alexander leaves
52 ndia, 326 B. c.
53 His vast schemes of
54 conquest and civiliza-
55 tion.
56 His death, 823 p, c.
57 Policy adopted b
58 him in the Panj ab.
59 Seleucus Nicator,
60 The Indians rise in
61 revolt
62 Greeks,
63 against the
64 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com